Prudential and other companies to take $100M health care charge in 1Q

Insurer Prudential Financial Inc. said Monday that it will take a $100 million charge in the first quarter in relation to the recent health care overhaul legislation.

The life insurance and annuities provider said in a regulatory filing that it will take the charge against earnings in the first quarter.

Prudential joins a growing list of companies that have said they will take accounting charges because of the health care bills. AT&T said last week it would take a $1 billion charge in the first quarter. AK Steel Corp., 3M Co., Caterpillar Inc., Deere & Co. and Valero Energy have also said they would take smaller charges.

The whole concept of the CENTRAL GOVT. providing health care is unconstitutional not just the individual mandate. To say the interstate commerce clause applies is plain wrong. The peopel who wrote this document was clear ass to its meaning and it is just to make trade regular between thee states, in other words, stop one state from Impeding the flow of trade from another or tax it in anyway. The only Constitutional thing the CENTRAL GOVT. can do is stop states from blocking the sale of health insurance across state lines.